In recent years, in the field of electronic parts, as a resin excellent in heat resistance, electric characteristics, and humidity resistance, a polyimide resin has been used. As one type of feedstock for the polyimide resin, there has been used an aromatic polycarboxylic acid such as 1,2,3,4-benzenetetracarboxylic acid and 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid.
Conventionally, as a method for manufacturing 1,2,3,4-benzenetetracarboxylic acid or 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid, there has been known a method for oxidizing 1,2,3,4-tetramethylbenzene or 1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene in a liquid phase or a gas phase. As another method, there is known a method for manufacturing 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid by oxidizing 2,4,5-trimethylbenzaldehyde in a liquid phase.
In addition, there has been disclosed a method for manufacturing 1,2,3,4-benzenetetracarboxylic acid or 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid by: hydrogenating anthracene or phenanthrene with a metal oxide catalyst or a metal sulfide catalyst to an octahydro body thereof; and oxidizing the octahydro body with concentrated nitric acid in a liquid phase or a gas phase (see Patent Literature 1).
Furthermore, there has been disclosed a method for manufacturing 1,2,3,4-benzenetetracarboxylic acid by oxidizing 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydrophenanthrene with potassium permanganate (see Patent Literature 2).